Month: January 2020

I think most Christians agree that baptism erases the stain of original sin from our souls and claims us as a child of God.We probably also agree that baptism gives us all unmerited grace and opens us to receive more grace and gifts the Father has for us.It seems that the big bone of contention is who gets baptized and when they get baptized. The other arguments as to where and how are really dealt with in the who and when.So what is original sin? That is the stain of sin on our souls that Adam & Eve bequeathed to all generations to come because of their disobedience to God. It is not a sin of our own fault but it is a sin that separates us from God and from His grace.Let’s consider a baby born of an addict mother. We know that baby will be born an addict also, and through no fault of it’s own but through the sins of another. And without intervention that child will not have much of a chance at a normal life.Do we withhold life saving treatment or therapy until that child is old enough to choose that they no longer want to be stained with the sin of addiction? Do we withhold the loving caresses, rocking, cuddling and nourishment that baby needs to overcome this sin because he or she cannot make that choice?Isn’t that the same thing we do if we withhold life saving, life giving baptism from an infant? Why would we not want them to be claimed, to be marked, (we believe baptism puts an indelible mark on the one who is baptized), and to be known as a child of God? Why would we not want them to be filled with the grace that comes with baptism?For 1500 years there was no problem with infant baptism, in fact, because of the infant mortality rate, babies were generally baptized right after birth. If the family lived in close proximity to the church the father took the baby, while the mother was still in bed, and had the priest baptize the infant. So many were baptized at just hours old. It was deemed important to claim that child for God!Notice, they weren’t worried about a party. They weren’t worried about a show. They weren’t worried about a public testimony. They were concerned with one thing only – inferring the graces on their son or daughter that are promised with the sacrament.How far away we move from God’s grace because we think we become smarter or more mature in our faith than was possible centuries ago. Modernity is our downfall.A couple of quick thoughts here, I know many Protestant sects do not recognize the baptism of Catholics because we were baptized as infants. Guess what, we recognize yours. We believe you were validly baptized and will always be marked that way as long as it was with water and in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We don’t care if it was in a river, a stream, a bathtub, a basin or under a faucet – just has to be water!So perhaps we should consider recognizing everyone baptized as Jesus commanded, as an adopted child of God instead of negating another’s baptism because it doesn’t meet the criteria you have set. That baptism truly makes us all brothers and sisters in Christ.Maybe, just maybe we can all truly work to be One Body of Christ.